THE district council has failed to hit its target for lost planning appeals for the fourth year in a row amid calls for councillors not to refuse high density developments.

Over the most recent six month period between October 2009 and March 2010, Epping Forest District Council lost 33.9 per cent of all planning appeals taken out against it.

The performance is an improvement over the previous six month figure of 40.3 per cent but still falls short if its 25 per cent target.

High profile recently lost appeals include an application to turn 109 and 111 Manor Road, Chigwell, into 13 flats, and plans to turn 51 Epping New Road, Buckhurst Hill, into ten flats.

To improve on the recent figures, the council officers' report suggests it is not worth turning down applications in the future on the grounds they are creating a higher density plot.

The report states: “It is understood that the Inspectorate have been charged to allow appeals for new dwellings whenever possible in order to assist in meeting housing need. Refusals based upon density factors or overdevelopment are therefore unlikely to succeed in roads of mixed residential uses that already include flats.”